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Federal inspectors will be carrying out checks this Saturday to Liberty Island, and its neighbour Ellis Island, although a quick examination showed no damage to the statue or the Ellis Island museum.

But a National Parks Service spokesman told the New York Daily News there was ‘water damage to the Statue of Liberty site’ and said checks must be done before a reopen date can be established.

Before the storm: The New York City statue was closed for a year-long project that was the second phase of planned work to improve the visitor's experience and safety while touring the interior of the monument

Reopening: This year marked the 126th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty's dedication and the renovation improved fire alarms, sprinkler systems and exit routes to bring it in line with city safety codes

Long walk: There are also more stairs than ever before inside, with a daunting 393 steps to the crown, where there were previously 354 slightly steeper steps

Monument: A park ranger conducts a tour of the Statue of Liberty last week before Superstorm Sandy hit

Elsewhere in New York City, museums,
the Empire State Building, Broadway theatres and many stores reopened on
Wednesday to the relief of tourists stuck in hotel rooms since last weekend.

SWEET LADY LIBERTY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF A SYMBOL OF AMERICA

Designed by Frederic Bartholdi, the statue is a neo-classical sculpture based on the Roman Goddess of Freedom, Libertas.

She was a present to the US from France to celebrate independence and was erected in 1886 in Upper New York Bay on Liberty Island.

Bartholdi's inspiration for the statue was a comment made by politician Édouard René de Laboulaye in mid-1865.

He stated: 'If a monument should rise in the United States, as a memorial to their independence, I should think it only natural if it were built by united effort - a common work of both our nations.'

She makes for a truly exhilarating sight for anyone entering New York. The main body of the statue stands at 151ft high, but with the pedestal included, reaches 305ft.

She has been featured in several Hollywood films such as Independence Day, Cloverfield, The Day After Tomorrow and Planet Of The Apes, where she appears buried in a beach.

This year marked
the 126th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty’s dedication and the
renovation improved fire alarms, sprinkler systems and exit routes to
bring it in line with city safety codes.

There
are also more stairs than ever before, with a daunting 393 steps to the
crown, where there were previously 354 slightly steeper steps. The
famous statue is 151ft from base to torch.

It
sits atop the 89ft tall stone pedestal, which sits on a 65ft
tall foundation in the shape of a star. Meanwhile the
bathrooms have been upgraded for the first time since the 1980s.

In addition a new air-conditioning system will cool the interior of the copper-clad monument, which previously could get up to 20F hotter than outdoors at the height of summer.

About 3.5million people visit Liberty Island each year, although most don't go inside the statue. With the improvements, 26,000 more will be able to ascend to the crown each year.

The statue, a gift from France to the US, was dedicated in 1886 and declared a national monument in 1924. In 2009, the crown was reopened to the public for the first time since the 9/11 attacks.

Sandy was blamed for at least 98
deaths across the US and Canada, leaving New Jersey's barrier islands a
wasteland of eroded shoreline, ruined beachfront homes and flooded streets.

As
New York City came back to life yesterday, starting with the partial
reopening of subway routes three days after the storm, it was revealed
the total U.S. damage could hit $50billion (£31billion).

VIDEO: Con Ed crews work above and below ground to restore power
in Lower Manhattan